White House Easter Egg Roll Photos Show Why It's The Best Presidential Tradition

Thousands of people crowded the White House lawn Monday for the 138th Easter Egg Roll, a yearly tradition where children race along the grass while pushing an egg with a long-handled spoon.

Barack and Michelle Obama greeted visitors on the South Lawn of the White House, posing for pictures with children before officiating the annual egg roll.

In short remarks from the Truman Balcony, the first lady called it a "bittersweet" moment: "This is the Obama administration's last Easter egg roll," she said.

The Obamas, with dogs Bo and Sunny and the Easter Bunny in tow, then high-fived children who came across the finish line.

"Who's the winner?" Obama asked, before picking up a baby. The president and first lady also read "Where the Wild Things Are" out loud to the children, an annual tradition.

"Do your moms and dads ever say, 'You guys are making mischief' like Max"? Obama asked children assembled before him, a reference to one of the characters in the book.

The Obamas later joined former NBA basketball star Shaquille O'Neal on the White House basketball court to play with a group of young people in the Jr. NBA program.

The first easter egg roll was held in the 1870s on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, until Congress made it illegal to hold the event there in 1876. The tradition then moved to the White House lawn in 1878, with President Rutherford B. Hayes hosting.